Even amid so much uncertainty, with so many players playing out expiring contracts, the Heat actually had a reasonably good locker room last season.

And the team did manage to rally and win 47 games — no great feat, but no embarrassment either.

Now at least five of those players have been sent, or have signed, with new teams.

Here’s a look at their new situations….

Michael Beasley (trade to Minnesota): The Wolves have a crowded frontcourt, and I’m not sure how he’ll work with Kevin Love, or in the triangle offense, which seems a terrible fit for the team’s personnel. But it’s probably good for him to go to a place where he’ll be out of the spotlight, out from all of the pressure, can get plenty of shots and can get his confidence back. You just have to hope that he can develop good habits while getting additional freedom.

Quentin Richardson ($7.5 million over three years with Orlando): After a whirlwind year, he gets some security, and goes to a place where he could get plenty of open 3’s. But I Orlando already seemed to have a backlog at the swing spots. If the Magic re-signs J.J. Redick, it will need to let Matt Barnes walk and find a new spot for Mickael Pietrus for Richardson to get significant playing time.

Daequan Cook (traded to Thunder): He’s not a hopeless case, and joining the kiddie corps in Oklahoma City might rejuvenate him. He just lost all confidence here. The question is playing time. Eric Maynor will get major minutes behind — and maybe even with — Russell Westbrook. And James Harden is on course to get a much bigger role at the two-guard.

Jermaine O’Neal (signs 2 year, $12 million deal with Celtics): Once Kendrick Perkins returns from knee surgery, O’Neal will assume the Rasheed Wallace role with Boston, though he certainly doesn’t have Wallace’s range. He shot a career-high percentage last season, but he doesn’t have much lift left those legs, and I wonder whether he’ll be able to stay warm when he’s coming off the bench or getting infrequent touches.

Dorell Wright (signs a 3 year, $11 million deal with Warriors): Golden State is under ownership transition, which is likely a good thing for the franchise long-term, but does create some coaching (and style) uncertainty. Wright would seem to be the perfect fit for Don Nelson’s system offensively. He can handle, has extended his shooting range. He also can defend. I like this contract and, while I think that Wright was best-suited for a defensive energy bench role on a solid team, I think he’ll get minutes and numbers here.

Comments (6 Comments)

1) Dorrell Wright is *BIGGEST* beneficiary. Goes to a team needing a SF and running a system that should take advantage if his athletic talents. He also immediately becomes their best wing defender.

2) JO. Right role for him. Won;t be asked to do too much.

3) Beasley. Worried about fit here. But no longer in anyones shadow. Expectations not as high and no spotlight in Minnesota. Will be able to put up #’s but as part of losing culture.

4) Q-Rich. Will replace Matt Barnes role in Orlando. But if Rashard Lewis starts getting some minutes at SF as some have said, Q-Rich might be in for lack of playing time. They can’t really trade Pietrus as losing him would mean they have now lost their two best wing-defenders (Barnes and Pietrus) in a division that just added Lebron.

5) Cook. Good luck getting any PT with backourt already full with Westbrook, Maynor, Harden, and Sefolasha. Would need an injury to see any PT. Maybe they showcase him during Pre-season to see if can get any trade value out of him.

1. Wright – Great timing for this transition, developed well rounded game and going to an offensive system. If he stays healthy he is in best position to succeed.
2. Beasley – A young team trying to find its identity, Beasley would make some of his fans in Miami upset that we let him go. He will probably average more than 20 points a game in a losing effort night in night out.
3. Richardson – A much better defender and match for Orlando than Vince Carter. Should log plenty of minutes in a reserve role.
4. O’Neal – A stopgag option at best, not tough enough for this Celtics team. Is a big body and has range and better post moves than Perkins, but is not a strong low post presence and rebounder. A step back from Rasheed Wallace.
5. Cook – A lost cause. One dimentional streaky shooter who needs space and time to get shot off. Athletic and young and could use that to develop his game to keep his confidence level up.

i dont know but the second team i’m watching on the NBA ticket will definitely be Minny to see how Beasley does. After watching all the summer league games, it seems to me that is where Cook fits in. The D league or summer league. There are so many guys like him i dont think he will last. Wright is a role player and JO is a bumb. It pissed me off last year how everyone said Beasley was our second option but the majority of the time we set up our offense the ball went into O’neal. He was the second option. We gained a lot last year letting Beasley sit on the bench to learn about his mistakes. What a waste of a season.

Wright will do well under Nelson, plus he is back in his home state. His on the ball defense will translate to 2-3 extra wins for a team that got beat at the last second a few times last year.

Beasley is the biggest question mark. It will depend on how commited Rambis will be to the triangle scheme. It works well when two of the points of the triangle have names like Jordan-Pippen or Bryant-Gasol, but Beasley-Love?

Q-Rich’s true value is his locker presence. He keeps everyone loose off the court, but he is a streak-shooter, hence not dependable.

Cook… He is cooked. He is another streaky shooter, but unlike Richardson, who can counter his on-off offensive game with solid defense, Dee Dee lets his cold streak affect his ability to cover his man.

O’Neil is a Wallace without 3-point range, but he will save the Celtics an average of 1 PPG at the defensive end by not getting a technical when he is on the court. He’ll sub for KG some, but I don’t see Doc Rivers taking PT from Davis and Perkins and their inside roughhousing for a – now – face to the basket 10-foot spot shooter.

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MIKE BERARDINO is still living the dream he first hatched as a young boy growing up in South Florida in the ‘70s and ‘80s. He’s writing about sports for a living. Best of all, he’s doing it in a now-crowded South Florida sports landscape teeming with talent, passion and, yes, sometimes even controversy. As the newest sports columnist at the Sun Sentinel, where he’s worked since February 1998, most recently as a Dolphins beat writer, Mike will draw on his many experiences over the years covering virtually every major sport and event. You name it, he’s been on the scene: World Series, Summer and Winter Olympics, Super Bowls, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Fours, BCS Championships, Wimbledon, the Masters, NASCAR Sprint Cup and on and on. Talk about living the dream. And now, with this new role and a daily blog forum for his many ideas and opinions, it just keeps getting better.